THE BOOK OF ROMANS, Chapter 1, The Gospel Exalted, Unbelief and its Consequences

 

THE BOOK OF ROMANS

Chapter 1

Warning: The following text is of a graphic nature. It is uncompromising in its confrontation and condemnation of the sin that is rampant among us, even in the Church; and it is vigorous in its defense of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

There are many who were and will be deeply offended and angered by the words of the Apostle Paul (for which he was murdered). But don’t misunderstand the value and intention of his words. He is not being unnecessarily harsh. His words, in the end, are kind words of warning. He is warning the Gentile world (and anyone who is listening) of the consequences of sin and the coming wrath upon those who reject God and the Gospel message, and upon those who practice debauchery and wantonly pursue sins of the flesh. He is offering a way out of their condemnation into an eternal sanctuary of forgiveness and a purposeful life and peace.

The Gospel Exalted

Romans 1:1, Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, verse 2, which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, verse 3, concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, verse 4, who was declared the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, verse 5, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles in behalf of His name, verse 6, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; verse 7, to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

(Commentary Break): The opening verses of Romans chapter one are both a greeting and a synopsis of the prophetic coming of the Christ in Jesus and His glorious works of atonement, the scriptural calling of Paul’s ministry to the Gentile world. (I would suggest you re-read these verses in the Amplified version of the Bible for deeper clarity). (End Commentary Break).

Verse 8. First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the world. Verse 9. For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you, verse 10, always in my prayers requesting if perhaps now, at last by the will of God, I will succeed in coming to you. Verse 11. For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established; verse 12, that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine. Verse 13. I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that often I have planned to come to you (and have been prevented so far) so that I may obtain some fruit among you also just as among the rest of the Gentiles. Verse 14. I am under obligation both to Greeks and to the uncultured, both to the wise and to the foolish. Verse 15. So, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

(Commentary Break): Paul’s delay in reaching Rome was for good reasons. Paul was unable to visit Rome before his arrest primarily due to his commitment to evangelize unreached areas first and fulfill his obligations in Jerusalem. His missionary work in other regions and the guidance of the Holy Spirit delayed his plans to travel to Rome. (see Bible Hub).

Reasons for Paul’s Delay in Visiting Rome

Commitment to Evangelism

• • • Paul prioritized preaching the gospel in areas where Christ was not known. His ambition was to reach unreached regions before visiting established churches like the one in Rome.
    • He focused on missionary work in regions from Jerusalem to Illyricum, which consumed much of his time and resources.

Obligations in Jerusalem

• • • Paul had a significant responsibility to deliver a charitable offering to the church in Jerusalem. This task was crucial for maintaining unity among the early Christian communities.
    • He did not want to pass through Rome on his way west until he had fulfilled this obligation.

Divine Guidance

• • • The Holy Spirit played a key role in directing Paul’s travels. He experienced several instances where he was prevented from entering certain regions, indicating that his itinerary was influenced by divine intervention.
    • Paul acknowledged that his plans were subject to God’s sovereignty, which often meant delays for broader kingdom purposes.

Summary of Paul’s Circumstances

Factor	Description
Evangelism Priority	Focused on unreached areas before established churches.
Jerusalem Obligations	Needed to deliver a charitable offering to the Jerusalem church.
Divine Guidance	Experienced delays due to the Holy Spirit’s direction.

These factors combined to prevent Paul from visiting Rome until after his arrest, when he ultimately arrived as a prisoner rather than as a missionary.

 One lesson to be taken from this explanation by Paul and his reasoning, is that his prioritization is what we, today in America, should consider. We, the Church in America, is spending hundreds of millions of dollars and an incalculable amount of time and human resources to reach far away lands while our own nation and its churches are drifting from our Christ-centered foundation and a majority are falling into apostasy.

Seventy-two percent of churches and senior pastors in the USA do not agree with the Bible and its teachings, indicating a significant trend towards apostasy within American Christianity. (livingeternal.net and themoorings.org).

Apostasy in American Churches – Current Trends

Recent research indicates that a significant percentage of American churches are experiencing a form of apostasy. Specifically, 72% of churches and senior pastors do not agree with the Bible and its teachings. This statistic highlights a troubling trend within the Christian community in the United States.

Implications of Apostasy

The implications of this trend are profound, as it suggests a departure from traditional biblical teachings and beliefs. The following points summarize the key aspects of this phenomenon:

• • • Disagreement with Biblical Teachings: A majority of church leaders are not aligned with the core tenets of Christianity as outlined in the Bible.
    • Impact on Congregations: This disconnect may lead to a decline in church attendance and engagement among congregants who seek a more biblically grounded faith.
    • Cultural Shift: The findings reflect a broader cultural shift away from traditional Christian values, contributing to a more secular society.

Conclusion

The statistic of 72% serves as a stark indicator of the challenges facing American Christianity today, suggesting a need for reflection and potential reform within many congregations. (End Commentary Break).

Verse 16. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Verse 17. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written: “BUT THE RIGHTEOUS ONE WILL LIVE BY FAITH.”

(Commentary Break): If only. If only each and every Christian could confirm these words of Paul for their own lives, one could only imagine the state of the world today. Of course that is not the case and there are as many reasons as there are people who call themselves Christian. The phrase “from faith to faith” could be stated as “from beginning to the end”. Thus, the righteousness of God is revealed in the Gospel message and through your faith, from beginning to the end. As I have said so many times, the Word of God is instructional, creative, causative and prophetic by its very nature, and so it is when It says “THE RIGHTEOUS ONE WILL LIVE BY FAITH”, for the fully surrender, fully devoted follower of Jesus, it is made possible and is the visible proof and fruit of a Christian. (End Commentary Break).

Unbelief and Its Consequences

Verse 18. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, verse 19, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. Verse 20. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, being understood by what has been made, so that they are without excuse. Verse 21. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their reasonings, and their senseless hearts were darkened. Verse 22. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, verse 23, and they exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible mankind, of birds, four-footed animals, and crawling creatures.

Verse 24. Therefore God gave them up to vile impurity in the lusts of their hearts, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. Verse 25. For they exchanged the truth of God for falsehood, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

Verse 26. For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged natural relations for that which is contrary to nature, verse 27, and likewise the men, too, abandoned natural relations with women and burned in their desire toward one another, males with males committing shameful acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. Verse 28. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a depraved mind, to do those things that are not proper, verse 29, people having been filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, and evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice; they are gossips, verse 30, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, verse 31, without understanding, untrustworthy, unfeeling, and unmerciful; verse 32, and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them.

(Commentary Break): Rather than assigning specific peoples or people groups who are identified as described in these foregoing verses, I will leave that to the reader. You see them plainly and everywhere. Their end is judgment and the severest punishment leads to their destruction – at which they scoff. They, in fact, celebrate and demand more and more rights to parade their indecencies and vile hatred of all that is good.

Live your life as a testimony and a witness of the Gospel before them, but do no entangle yourself with them or their lifestyles – for the scriptures warn that “bad company corrupts good morals”. (End Commentary Break).

(End Romans chapter one).

If the Apostle Paul was running for a popularity contest he would likely fail. I also suspect that if Paul were to preach this way in the contemporary twenty-first century Church, he would not be invited back to very many churches. Yet this is the way and the pattern to which we must return and practice – in love, peace and reverence for all. This must be our testimony and witness to the world. We must not pander hoping we can attract people with false charity and entice them through entertaining methods that do not lead to repentance and holiness.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

PS: If you desire a deeper theological line-by-line commentary, I recommend BibleHub.com.

Next: The Book of Romans, Chapter 2, The Impartiality of God, The Jews Under the Law.

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